So I weighed myself this morning to see how I was doing and the scale reported back to me that I was a mere 123.5 pounds! I know that I can't officially count this as my weight, as it's not weigh-in day, but ... SQUEE! 123.5 pounds!
Just wanted to add: I think that when my mom joined the program it kick-started me into wanting to be a better weight-watcher again. So, thanks mom!
Showing posts with label Weight loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weight loss. Show all posts
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Just some thoughts
I hate to see the holidays get over so quickly, but am eager for the near-constant supply of chocolates and peppermints and other little sugary, fatty holiday items to disappear from the office. At home I'm mostly good and plan out what I eat pretty well. But at work, where I spend most of my time I might add, those little goodies prove too hard to resist. I counted it up one week and I think I was eating at least a chocolate a day — most often two! I want that to end!
•••
I started this whole thing out to lose weight, but more and more lately I've been focusing on being and eating healthy (as well as getting to my goal weight). I want to eat a colorful diet and choose (and enjoy!) foods that are really nutritionally good for me. Of course, I've got those things that I just CAN'T give up — ice cream being one of them, although I've recently started buying low-fat instead of regular (and it tastes exactly the same!). And there are those moments when I eat some pretty bad-for-me stuff. On the whole though, I've been pleasantly surprised at the way and the ease I've taken to the changes in my diet. My parents can attest to the fact that I was a notoriously picky eater. Most vegetables could make me gag. I had a few things I really enjoyed and didn't like to try new things. I'd rather eat out than in, although I didn't do that very much. I just wasn't very much fun at dinner time.
But in the past couple months I have been trying new stuff left and right. Brussels sprouts? Sure! Tofu? Bring it on! Lentils? Sounds great! And even more surprising is that almost everything I've tried has been terrific. Brussels sprouts, not so much. But almost everything else.
•••
I've been hooked lately on a BBC America show called 'You Are What You Eat.' In it, a very formidable nutritionist takes obese people who eat horrendously and puts them on an 11-week detox diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, legumes and beans and usually small portions of oily fish. The people usually go through a host of tests, including a very gross portion of the show where the state of their poo is mulled over, and in the end they are declared lacking in most essential nutrients. To get healthy is as simple as eating those foods full of the things they're lacking and exercising more. The show is full of great information about different foods and what they provide to your body (for example, pumpkin seeds are chock-full of zinc and, among other things, can do wonders to your sex drive!). I've learned so much from watching this show and recommend it to anyone. I never really thought about my body being like a machine I needed to fuel and maintain, even though I grew up hearing that term. To me, eating food was enough. I wasn't actually thinking about whether the food I was eating had any nutritional value or not, or what nutrients I needed or what those nutrients did. Now, I know I'll be thinking about that when I plan my meals or go shopping.
•••
I started this whole thing out to lose weight, but more and more lately I've been focusing on being and eating healthy (as well as getting to my goal weight). I want to eat a colorful diet and choose (and enjoy!) foods that are really nutritionally good for me. Of course, I've got those things that I just CAN'T give up — ice cream being one of them, although I've recently started buying low-fat instead of regular (and it tastes exactly the same!). And there are those moments when I eat some pretty bad-for-me stuff. On the whole though, I've been pleasantly surprised at the way and the ease I've taken to the changes in my diet. My parents can attest to the fact that I was a notoriously picky eater. Most vegetables could make me gag. I had a few things I really enjoyed and didn't like to try new things. I'd rather eat out than in, although I didn't do that very much. I just wasn't very much fun at dinner time.
But in the past couple months I have been trying new stuff left and right. Brussels sprouts? Sure! Tofu? Bring it on! Lentils? Sounds great! And even more surprising is that almost everything I've tried has been terrific. Brussels sprouts, not so much. But almost everything else.
•••
I've been hooked lately on a BBC America show called 'You Are What You Eat.' In it, a very formidable nutritionist takes obese people who eat horrendously and puts them on an 11-week detox diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, legumes and beans and usually small portions of oily fish. The people usually go through a host of tests, including a very gross portion of the show where the state of their poo is mulled over, and in the end they are declared lacking in most essential nutrients. To get healthy is as simple as eating those foods full of the things they're lacking and exercising more. The show is full of great information about different foods and what they provide to your body (for example, pumpkin seeds are chock-full of zinc and, among other things, can do wonders to your sex drive!). I've learned so much from watching this show and recommend it to anyone. I never really thought about my body being like a machine I needed to fuel and maintain, even though I grew up hearing that term. To me, eating food was enough. I wasn't actually thinking about whether the food I was eating had any nutritional value or not, or what nutrients I needed or what those nutrients did. Now, I know I'll be thinking about that when I plan my meals or go shopping.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Food Log — Thursday, Dec. 6
Morning:
1 Morning Glory muffin (4)
1 banana (1.5)
16 fl oz water (0)
Afternoon:
1 serving Progresso Italian-Vegetable soup (0)
6 saltine crackers (2)
12 fl oz Diet Coke (0)
Evening:
Christmas party buffet
• 6 small meatballs (6)
• 1 deviled egg half (2)
• 2 small sugar cookies (3)
• 2 small creme puffs (5)
12 fl oz Diet Coke (0)
Total:
22.5 points
Activity:
40 minute, 2-mile brisk walk (+2)
The Christmas Party Buffet. This is when bad food happens to good people. I really have no excuse for eating SIX meatballs and FOUR sugary desserts, except that I was starving and my husband just sprung this little party thing on me. Lucky for me, I had those two extra activity points from walking in the afternoon, so I really only went .5 points over.
But really, at least last night's train-wreck of a dinner has taught me what I should not do at the other Christmas Party Buffet I have to go to tonight. Luckily I knew far in advance about tonight's party and was able to plan out what I was going to eat. I will take a fist-sized serving of pasta primavera, salad and one dinner roll. Desserts are pot-lucked and we're making some apple-oatmeal cookies out of the Weight Watcher's cookbook. I WILL stay on point tonight (and hopefully won't have to use those activity points to do so)!
1 Morning Glory muffin (4)
1 banana (1.5)
16 fl oz water (0)
Afternoon:
1 serving Progresso Italian-Vegetable soup (0)
6 saltine crackers (2)
12 fl oz Diet Coke (0)
Evening:
Christmas party buffet
• 6 small meatballs (6)
• 1 deviled egg half (2)
• 2 small sugar cookies (3)
• 2 small creme puffs (5)
12 fl oz Diet Coke (0)
Total:
22.5 points
Activity:
40 minute, 2-mile brisk walk (+2)
The Christmas Party Buffet. This is when bad food happens to good people. I really have no excuse for eating SIX meatballs and FOUR sugary desserts, except that I was starving and my husband just sprung this little party thing on me. Lucky for me, I had those two extra activity points from walking in the afternoon, so I really only went .5 points over.
But really, at least last night's train-wreck of a dinner has taught me what I should not do at the other Christmas Party Buffet I have to go to tonight. Luckily I knew far in advance about tonight's party and was able to plan out what I was going to eat. I will take a fist-sized serving of pasta primavera, salad and one dinner roll. Desserts are pot-lucked and we're making some apple-oatmeal cookies out of the Weight Watcher's cookbook. I WILL stay on point tonight (and hopefully won't have to use those activity points to do so)!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Monday Weigh-In
Well, the numbers are in folks:
Last week's weight — 137 pounds
This week's weight — 135 pounds
Another 2 pounds gone!
OK, so NOW I weigh 135 pounds. It's a very big relief, to finally weigh what I considered an acceptable weight for myself for so long. It will be an even bigger relief to weigh less than that, to finally drop down into what I consider an 'ideal' weight, which is anywhere from 125 to 120 pounds. I briefly thought about trying to get down to 115 pounds, but then I realized how silly that would be. I weighed 117 pounds when I was a teenager. I'm not a teenager anymore. I'm not even close, sadly. So think I shall leave all the 'teens,' age and weight, behind me forever.
The sad side effect to losing all this weight is the fact that my favorite pair of pants no longer fits. They were relatively new too. I got them in August when I went home to visit my parents. My mom took me shopping and we found the cutest pair of green khakis. I fell in love with them. However, at that point I was still around 150 pounds and had to buy them in a size 10. I'd never been in a size 10 before and this was what really got the ball rolling for this whole weight loss journey. In any event, I'm back down to a size 7/8 pant and sporting the 'saggy butt' look with my green khakis. I'm very sad about this, probably more sad than I should be about a pair of pants, but I don't find good pants that I really like very often. And by very often I mean EVER.
Sigh. I really loved those pants. But the pounds? Nope, glad those are gone.
Last week's weight — 137 pounds
This week's weight — 135 pounds
Another 2 pounds gone!
OK, so NOW I weigh 135 pounds. It's a very big relief, to finally weigh what I considered an acceptable weight for myself for so long. It will be an even bigger relief to weigh less than that, to finally drop down into what I consider an 'ideal' weight, which is anywhere from 125 to 120 pounds. I briefly thought about trying to get down to 115 pounds, but then I realized how silly that would be. I weighed 117 pounds when I was a teenager. I'm not a teenager anymore. I'm not even close, sadly. So think I shall leave all the 'teens,' age and weight, behind me forever.
The sad side effect to losing all this weight is the fact that my favorite pair of pants no longer fits. They were relatively new too. I got them in August when I went home to visit my parents. My mom took me shopping and we found the cutest pair of green khakis. I fell in love with them. However, at that point I was still around 150 pounds and had to buy them in a size 10. I'd never been in a size 10 before and this was what really got the ball rolling for this whole weight loss journey. In any event, I'm back down to a size 7/8 pant and sporting the 'saggy butt' look with my green khakis. I'm very sad about this, probably more sad than I should be about a pair of pants, but I don't find good pants that I really like very often. And by very often I mean EVER.
Sigh. I really loved those pants. But the pounds? Nope, glad those are gone.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Hello! And an Introduction
I had no idea the difference 11 pounds and a healthier diet could make. Just one month ago I was depressed and tired all of the time. I had headaches every night and occasional bouts of vertigo at work. I was irritable and unhappy with myself. All I wanted to do was sleep.
I thought I ate healthy enough. I mean, I did snack ... a lot. And I did eat from fast food restaurants once or twice a week when my husband didn't want to cook. And then there were the Diet Cokes I had to have with lunch, when I got home from work and again at dinner. But I liked to eat apples for breakfast and we tried to have at least one course of vegetables a day. I really thought that in the grand scheme of things, I was doing pretty good.
I knew that I had gained some weight over the years. In high school the absolute MOST I ever weighed was a whopping 117 pounds, thanks to the slew of sports I participated in and a naturally petite frame. During my four years in college I gained about six or seven pounds, which I attribute to not knowing how to cook anything except variations of macaroni and cheese. I also wasn't nearly as active as I had been in high school, but I still walked or biked almost everywhere I went and went through a phase of lap swimming every afternoon, and that helped keep me to a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index).
It wasn't until I graduated and got a job sitting at a desk for eight hours a day that my weight ballooned. I went from about 125 pounds to ... well, I didn't know. I didn't own a scale. I still felt skinny, even though I could see a little more pudge around my face. And I still fit into most of the hand-me-down clothes that my 135 pound sister gave me. So I figured my weight was around that. Not too bad, really.
Then we got the scale.
At first, I was scared to step onto it. The cold gleam of the metal and the dose of reality it promised was too intimidating for me. I shunned it, ignored it, tried to pretend it didn't exist.
One day, my pants didn't fit. In fact, nothing really fit. And it wasn't just one day. It was every day. My self esteem was plummeting. I felt like the ugliest person in the whole world. I stopped wanting to go out in case someone saw me. While my husband still loved me and told me I was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen, I didn't believe him. I didn't want him to see me. I undressed in the dark. I locked the bathroom door when I took a shower. I hated myself.
One morning I thought, "I'll just do. I'll step on the scale and see how much I really weigh. It will be good to know." And I did it. And I was shocked. Mortified. I have never told anyone what exactly that scale said. I told my husband it said 135 pounds. I told my mother it said 140 pounds. I told myself that something had to change.
The scale said 148 pounds. One hundred and forty-eight. Just two pounds away from 150. How?! How did the petite 117 pound girl gain 31 pounds?? And how, more importantly, could she lose it?
I decided to join Weight Watchers Online a month ago. The membership fee was my 25th birthday present from my mom and even though she has worried that it was a bad gift, so far it has been the best thing to happen to me (besides all that other important stuff, like marrying my husband or graduating from college.) Not only did I decide to lose weight by following the WW Points plan, I decided to eat really healthy. No more fast food, less meat, more skim milk, fat-free condiments, whole wheat breads and flours and lots and lots of veggies. In the heat of the moment, my cupboards overflowing with pumpkin seeds and beans, vegetables and fruits, I also decided to drink less of my beloved Diet Coke. I knew about the negative effects of aspartame (headaches, vertigo, fatigue, irritability ... basically everything I was feeling all of the time) and felt that if I was trying to improve my life then I had to get rid of the soda. For three weeks I've stuck to a limit of one soda a day at lunch. Hopefully one day I'll drink even less than that. I've been drinking my 8 cups of water a day instead (even though it's a real chore, I have to admit. Water just doesn't taste very good after awhile) and I've really noticed a difference. No more headaches, no more vertigo and a whole lot less irritability.
I've lost 11 pounds so far. My old clothes are fitting again and I'm feeling so much better about myself. I've discovered new foods I really like (and that are also very good for me) and I'm getting out and active again. This is a journey though, and I've still got 17 pounds to loose until I reach my goal weight of 120 pounds. I wanted to share what I'm going through both for the accountability it will give me, and hopefully to inspire others (like my mom!) to do the same.
I thought I ate healthy enough. I mean, I did snack ... a lot. And I did eat from fast food restaurants once or twice a week when my husband didn't want to cook. And then there were the Diet Cokes I had to have with lunch, when I got home from work and again at dinner. But I liked to eat apples for breakfast and we tried to have at least one course of vegetables a day. I really thought that in the grand scheme of things, I was doing pretty good.
I knew that I had gained some weight over the years. In high school the absolute MOST I ever weighed was a whopping 117 pounds, thanks to the slew of sports I participated in and a naturally petite frame. During my four years in college I gained about six or seven pounds, which I attribute to not knowing how to cook anything except variations of macaroni and cheese. I also wasn't nearly as active as I had been in high school, but I still walked or biked almost everywhere I went and went through a phase of lap swimming every afternoon, and that helped keep me to a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index).
It wasn't until I graduated and got a job sitting at a desk for eight hours a day that my weight ballooned. I went from about 125 pounds to ... well, I didn't know. I didn't own a scale. I still felt skinny, even though I could see a little more pudge around my face. And I still fit into most of the hand-me-down clothes that my 135 pound sister gave me. So I figured my weight was around that. Not too bad, really.
Then we got the scale.
At first, I was scared to step onto it. The cold gleam of the metal and the dose of reality it promised was too intimidating for me. I shunned it, ignored it, tried to pretend it didn't exist.
One day, my pants didn't fit. In fact, nothing really fit. And it wasn't just one day. It was every day. My self esteem was plummeting. I felt like the ugliest person in the whole world. I stopped wanting to go out in case someone saw me. While my husband still loved me and told me I was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen, I didn't believe him. I didn't want him to see me. I undressed in the dark. I locked the bathroom door when I took a shower. I hated myself.
One morning I thought, "I'll just do. I'll step on the scale and see how much I really weigh. It will be good to know." And I did it. And I was shocked. Mortified. I have never told anyone what exactly that scale said. I told my husband it said 135 pounds. I told my mother it said 140 pounds. I told myself that something had to change.
The scale said 148 pounds. One hundred and forty-eight. Just two pounds away from 150. How?! How did the petite 117 pound girl gain 31 pounds?? And how, more importantly, could she lose it?
I decided to join Weight Watchers Online a month ago. The membership fee was my 25th birthday present from my mom and even though she has worried that it was a bad gift, so far it has been the best thing to happen to me (besides all that other important stuff, like marrying my husband or graduating from college.) Not only did I decide to lose weight by following the WW Points plan, I decided to eat really healthy. No more fast food, less meat, more skim milk, fat-free condiments, whole wheat breads and flours and lots and lots of veggies. In the heat of the moment, my cupboards overflowing with pumpkin seeds and beans, vegetables and fruits, I also decided to drink less of my beloved Diet Coke. I knew about the negative effects of aspartame (headaches, vertigo, fatigue, irritability ... basically everything I was feeling all of the time) and felt that if I was trying to improve my life then I had to get rid of the soda. For three weeks I've stuck to a limit of one soda a day at lunch. Hopefully one day I'll drink even less than that. I've been drinking my 8 cups of water a day instead (even though it's a real chore, I have to admit. Water just doesn't taste very good after awhile) and I've really noticed a difference. No more headaches, no more vertigo and a whole lot less irritability.
I've lost 11 pounds so far. My old clothes are fitting again and I'm feeling so much better about myself. I've discovered new foods I really like (and that are also very good for me) and I'm getting out and active again. This is a journey though, and I've still got 17 pounds to loose until I reach my goal weight of 120 pounds. I wanted to share what I'm going through both for the accountability it will give me, and hopefully to inspire others (like my mom!) to do the same.
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